Bloody Ransoms
by Cehhfasat
Summary: Are all orcs inherently evil? Not Krumshk. -- The tale of a single good orc among a whole race of evil. This story is completely unique to me, and any constructive criticism would be very much appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**Bloody Ransoms**

Krumshk took a huge bite of the hunk of mutton he had in his hand. The near-raw meat reeked of blood and gore - just the way Krumshk liked it. Looking up from his mutton, Krumshk looked into the campfire and watched the logs crackle and snap from the heat. It reminded the orc of a great battle where the logs were victims of the vicious conflict. Their body parts flew apart in a splash of blood and showered the sky with sparks. Krumshk loved to watch the camp fire and imagine the kind of battles that must have happened in this area of the world hundreds or thousands of years ago. Perhaps it had been an orc tribe like his own waging war on murderous humans, or better yet – elves. Perhaps an orc tribe fought with another for superiority, or fought to rid this valley of goblin scum. Krumshk could only imagine the kind of bloodshed that had earned this valley its title – Ghoktolk Valley, which meant Valley of Battles in orcish.

"It's your turn for watch now," an orc mumbled as he came into the camp and sat down heavily on a log near the fire and reached for the mutton. Krumshk stuffed the rest of his meal into his mouth, wiped some blood from his mouth onto the back of his hand, and stood up and went to the edge of camp. He looked around, looked up the cliff that the camp was nestled next to, then started toward the south to where the slope lessened and he could easily get up the cliff. After some walking Krumshk stood on the cliff that overlooked his camp and scanned the landscape. The orc camp was in a narrow gorge that ran north to south. About a kilometer to the north it turned sharply to the east. Krumshk moved north along the cliff side until he came to a point where he could see down both the south gorge and the east gorge.

The wind was picking up and Krumshk hugged himself to keep himself warm. When he arrived at his destination, which was strewn with boulders, Krumshk selected a vantage point and sat himself down. He looked south, to where his camp was, then east along the gorge. Something caught his attention. Inside the gorge, nestled along the cliff face, Krumshk spotted a camp. There was a fire burning and shapes moving about. It was hard to see, but judging from what he could see, Krumshk guessed they weren't orcs or goblins.

Krumshk perked up at once at the prospect of facing real enemies. He had hunted in the forests for wild game and had fought members of his own clan, but Krumshk had never actually been in a battle with members of another clan or even another race. He jumped up and went into the group of pine trees nearby and began stalking his way toward the camp he spotted. He silently padded through the forest and quickly came to a point where he overlooked the camp. Lying down on the cliff side, he looked down and watched the intruders. They were obviously human; Krumshk could tell now that he was closer. He hadn't actually seen any humans before, but from what he'd heard about them these creatures met the description. Krumshk counted six humans down in the camp and lay watching them for several minutes. He saw five humans sitting or laying about the campfire, and watched as one walked slowly about the edge of camp, staring into the darkness. He was saying something to the others, but Krumshk couldn't understand what he was saying. After several minutes, Krumshk stood up and made his way back to his own camp to tell the others.

Within an hour of leaving camp Krumshk was back, and bore an evil grin on his face. The other orcs – five of them including Krumshk – were quick to inquire as to the delight of Krumshk. He answered them very simply; "We got some huntin' to do."

The orcs looked from one to another then they all smiled as one and looked questioningly at Krumshk. "Where?" one asked.

"Around the bend in the gorge. They don't even know we're here. We easily sneak up on them," Krumshk stated. There was a sudden bustle throughout the camp as everyone moved to get his weapons and to prepare for the upcoming battle. They all felt a great urge to make great noise in celebration of the upcoming battle, but everyone understood the necessity of stealth. Nobody needed to be told what to do. An orc moved to put out the fire. Others scrambled around, retrieving weapons or donning their battle gear. Krumshk went to the meager store of weapons and looked it over. After looking from his own long knife to the other weapons, he decided to grab a pair of axes. He put his knife on his belt and held the axes tightly, prepping himself mentally for the upcoming battle.

A few minutes later, four orcs stalked slowly and silently along the rocky ravine floor and another shadowed their movements from the top of the cliff. The orc up on top of the cliff, Yik, signaled for the orcs in the gorge below to lay low and stay put. Creeping along the cliff side, Yik spotted a human scout prowling around in the ravine directly outside the human camp. Yik carefully took aim with his blackened longbow, held his breath, and fired his arrow into the night. The human scout dropped to the ground, an arrow piercing his neck. After silently congratulating himself for his great shot, Yik walked back to the part of the cliff where he was overlooking his comrades and gave two short "ssk" noises, which signaled them to move in.

Krumshk gripped his axes firmly and crept along the cliff side, moving from shadow to shadow, from boulder to boulder. The other orcs similarly approached the human camp, approaching the camp like a tiger silently approaching its prey. Krumshk was in position. He was crouched behind an out-jutting part of the cliff, with about twenty feet between him and the camp. The camp itself consisted of two tents and a campfire in the middle. Two humans were sitting next to the fire, idly throwing in bits of grass. Two more were asleep next to the fire, covered in fur blankets to ward off the piercing cold. Krumshk guessed there were more humans in the tents, and perhaps another one scouting the other side of the camp. He looked over across the gorge to see his comrades get into their positions. One was lying in the grass about ten feet from one of the tents, another was crouching behind a small mound with his bow at the ready, and two more had silently sneaked around to the other side of the camp. Although Krumshk could see his comrades in the dark, he knew the humans would be nearly blind, not having the great night vision that orcs had. Krumshk looked up to Yik, who was crouched at the top of the cliff with his deadly bow at the ready. Yik looked down, noticed Krumshk looking up at him, and smiled wickedly. The moon was just setting in the west and there were still hours of night remaining. The humans had no idea what was coming and would certainly pay the price for coming this close to Red Spear territory. Yes, it was going to be a great night for hunting!

Krumshk saw the last two orcs get into position on the far side of the camp. He gripped his axes tightly and planted his feet firmly, ready for the moment when he must jump up and run for the camp. The campfire crackled and a shower of sparks went up into the night air. One of the humans at the side of the fire turned around slowly and walked toward one of the tents. Snap! A twig snapped somewhere in the gorge. The human stopped and looked in the direction of the orc who was readying his bow behind the mound. He peered into the night for a moment, then started walking out away from the camp in the direction of the orc. Krumshk looked over to the orc bowman who was crouching lower and lower.

Just then there was 'thwang' from above Krumshk's head and a barbed arrow sailed into the suspicious human. It hit his side and the man went down with a loud yelp. Krumshk took the cue and jumped up and rushed forward, raising his axes above his head and letting out a loud battle cry. He quickly covered the twenty feet of flat grassy land to the camp and rushed to the man who was standing next to the campfire. A quick double chop brought the man down. An arrow snapped through the air from behind the mound and took a man who was coming out of his tent with his sword drawn. Krumshk looked down at the man who was lying by the fire. The man was just waking up and a look of pure terror crossed his face when he woke up to see an ugly orc staring down at him. Krumshk kicked the man in the face, then brought his axes down brutally on the man's head and neck.

The two orcs across the camp were now in the camp with Krumshk. One was fighting with the other human who had been asleep; the other was finishing off the man who was impaled in the side by an arrow. The orc who had been lying in the grass had rushed into the back of one of the tents and Krumshk could hear screaming from within. Krumshk rushed into the second tent and immediately saw a man standing up protectively, with a large sword drawn, standing in front of a woman lying on the ground. The man had a look of absolute determination on his face, and beads of sweat were sitting on the side of his face. He was biting his lower lip and was already in a battle-ready stance. The woman was holding a small child and she looked fearfully up at Krumshk. Her face was a tapestry of fear, horror, disgust, and despair all at the same time. The baby was crying, and clung to the woman for protection and assurance that everything would be all right. The mother was scared. The baby was crying. The man was protecting them from certain death.

Krumshk took this all in in a flash. The man swung his sword almost immediately, a look of rage on his face. The sword came in fast, but Krumshk just stood there staring at the mother and child until the last possible moment. He brought up his axe to parry. The sword blasted right through the shaft of the axe and continued on its deadly course. Krumshk narrowly avoided being beheaded by ducking and jumping backward a few feet. When the human completed his swing, Krumshk came in hard and fast with his other axe, swing across from left to right, aiming for the human's chest. The man's sword was too large to be brought back for a parry in time, so he sidestepped slightly. The axe still came in hard and true. The axe exploded against the man's side, bringing him down at once.

Krumshk was about to go for the other two humans when the man, apparently still alive and fighting, pulled out a knife and drove it into Krumshk's calf. Krumshk fell down and dropped his axe. In this moment, the women leaped up and rushed out of the tent, still carrying her child. Both Krumshk and the man, who were both lying on the ground, saw her go. The man smiled and then fell back, quite dead. Krumshk crawled out of the tent and looked for the woman. She was running out of the camp at full speed, moving past the other tent when an orc jumped out from behind the tent. The woman screamed and fell back. She was on her back now, crawling slowly away from the orc, silently pleading for her life. The orc raised his spear. The woman screamed again. The orc laughed and drove the spear through the woman's heart. Blood streamed forth and the woman went limp. The baby was still crying.

Krumshk looked on, stunned. A moment later the crying stopped. An orc held the baby's head in one hand, blood streaming from the bottom of its neck. The rest of the child was still in its mother's arms, both of them filling the earth quickly with blood. One of the orcs cackled with glee and said "We be eatin' good tonight!"

All Krumshk could do was look on with horror and disgust. He sighed and turned over on his back as cheers of victory sounded around him from his fellow orcs.


	2. Chapter 2

A soft noise brought Krumshk from his sleep. He looked around through the pine forest, seeing a great deal from his viewpoint in the high branches of the tree. He saw only swaying pine trees, and a squirrel going about its daily routine. He yawned and leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree he was nestled in. He dreamed of that night many years ago often, but it always brought up strange feelings in him. He could still clearly see the look on the faces of the man and woman as they were killed. The sun was setting and darkness would cover the northlands before long. At this, Krumshk would be off, heading into the foothills of The North Mountains, but for now he simply leaned back and enjoyed the cool breeze on his face and the sense of safety.

After an hour, or so, the sun set and Krumshk carefully untangled himself from the tree branches and made his way to the grassy ground. His travel pack was leaning against the bottom of the tree, and Krumshk picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. He began walking north and continued his course throughout the night.

He moved with great delicacy and care. He moved each plant aside gently and made sure his feet didn't leave too noticeable of tracks. He sidestepped any mud and stepped on rocks or tree roots wherever possible. The wind tugged gently on his ragged brown traveling cloak and the moon cast strange shadows beneath each pine tree. There was a distant howling of wolves, and Krumshk hoped dearly that it wasn't the howling of his tribe's warg wolves.

Krumshk spotted a cave in a cliff face behind some boulders and made his way carefully toward it. The dawn was fast approaching and Krumshk didn't want to be wandering about the mountains in the light of day. He glanced quickly behind him, scanning the slope he had just climbed for any moving shapes. Turning back around he looked up at the top of the cliff. A few pine trees grew just at the edge of the cliff and their roots clung to the cliff side. Seeing no apparent danger, Krumshk moved silently to the entrance of the cave, drawing his long, black sword from his hip.

The cave didn't go very deep, and it appeared to not connect with any other underground tunnel systems, so far as Krumshk could tell. The cave entrance had a low ceiling and Krumshk had to go down to his hands and knees to get to the back part of the cave. The air smelled faintly of filth, and after Krumshk spotted a pile of supplies and stored food he quickly searched the immediate area for the inhabitants. When he found the cave empty he sheathed his sword, deciding the inhabitants must be away.

Krumshk walked over to the heap of supplies, and judging from the lack of quality of the tools and weapons he guessed it was several orcs who lived in this cave. Perhaps it was some of his own tribe who hadn't heard of his betrayal…. As Krumshk thought it over, though, the Red Spear clan didn't have any orcs in this area of the mountains. That was the reason Krumshk had come here in the first place.

A crude bow was resting in the corner of the cave, with a quiver of about a dozen arrows sitting next to it. Krumshk took it and hung it on his back. The quiver he strapped to his thigh, and then went for the stores of food. He put what he could into his traveling pack and left the rest. Scanning the cave again, he got down on his hands and knees and started to exit the cave. He didn't want to still be there when the inhabitants returned, and decided to try to find another shelter before sunrise.

As Krumshk neared the entrance to the cave he spotted three shapes moving toward him from down the slope. They appeared to be orcs from their hunched gait and two of them were fighting between themselves in very loud voices. The third carefully scanned the surroundings and walked a little ahead of the other two. Krumshk looked left and right, then back toward the approaching orcs. He decided that they would see him if he tried to run, so he turned around and crawled back into the cave.

Krumshktried to piece together some strategy for fighting these orcs, and he looked at the cave again, this time looking from the perspective of one who has nowhere else to go. Toward the back of the cave there was a pile of boulders and darkness behind them. Krumshk trotted over to them and crawled over. He sat down on the stone floor and listened. The voices of the orcs continued to grow louder and louder until Krumshk could tell the two arguing orcs were crawling into the cave. He dared not peek over the rocks, however, for fear that they would spot him and kill him. Now the orcs were in the main part of the cave and where moving about, and it sounded like there were only two in the cave. Krumshk figured the last one must have stayed outside to patrol the area.

With a soft growl to himself, Krumshk peeked over the boulder. One orc was reclining in the middle of the cave, talking about killing dwarves, while the other one rummaged through their supplies. "We missin' some stuff" he grunted.

The other orc stopped what he was saying – about a certain blond haired dwarf whose arms and legs he had ripped off – and looked in the direction of the first orc. "Look around the cave, you idiot."

The first orc looked one last time through the supplies and then proceeded to searching the far corners of the cave. Krumshk heard it call from the darkness, "My bow is missing!" At this the second orc stood up with a sigh, and began walking over toward the other orc. Seeing his chance, Krumshk took up the bow and fired toward the orc that had just started walking toward the back of the cave. The arrow whizzed past the orc's face and hit the wall on the far side of the cave. Krumshk hadn't actually expected to hit, and was already drawing his slender, ash-colored blade. The sound of the sword leaving the scabbard left the cave reverberating with a ringing sound. Krumshk let out a howl and rushed toward the orc.

The orc looked in surprise at Krumshk, then at the last minute picked up his spear and pointed it at Krumshk. As he was nearing the orc, Krumshk swung his sword and chopped of the tip of the spear. Keeping his momentum but unable to move his sword back fast enough to strike, Krumshk ran straight into the surprised orc and took him down to the hard rock. The orc now lay on the cave floor and Krumshk lay next to him. The orc growled a curse and moved to punch Krumshk in the face. Krumshk moved aside and brought his sword up. With a swing and a slash the orc lost his right hand. He screamed in pain and rolled back away from Krumshk.

The second orc had drawn his weapon by now and charged at Krumshk with a raised axe. Krumshk rolled over, got up, and brandished his sword in front of him with a growl. The orc came down hard with a downward hack aimed at Krumshk's head, which was blocked by Krumshk's raised sword. The orc then brought his axe back and swung low at Krumshk's hip. Krumshk jumped back and let the axe go swishing by. After it had passed completely in front of him, he planted his feet squarely on the floor and then rushed toward the orc with a high slash aimed at the neck. The orc ducked and then tackled Krumshk. They both went to the cave floor, biting and scratching at the other. Their weapons flew to either side and clanged against the rock. Krumshk spit in the orc's face. The orc grabbed at Krumshk's neck.

They struggled for a minute or two, then Krumshk pushed the orc back and reached to the side for his sword. The orc came back on a moment later, only to find a black sword impaled in his stomach. The orc looked down in terror. Krumshk tore his sword free and left the orc to fall to the ground in pain and horror. He moved over to the first orc, who was still lying near the wall, grasping his wrist and screaming about the bloody stub that remained of his hand. With a rush and a plunge the orc was dead, a stab wound in its chest. Krumshk took a step back and looked back at his handiwork: two dead orcs and a cave full of supplies. Just then an arrow came whizzing through the still air and stuck Krumshk's right shoulder. In a blaze of pain he went down to the ground and spotted the third orc crouching at the cave entrance with a bow in his hand.

The orc was preparing a second shot, but when he looked back up he didn't see Krumshk anymore. Always cautious, the orc looked left and right, then behind him. He then drew a rusty sword and got down on his hands and knees. When the orc got into the larger part of the cave he saw his two dead comrades, but not the vicious orc who had killed them. He looked around, trying to spot a hiding place that could hold Krumshk. He spotted the boulders and moved slowly over to them. When he had reached the front of the boulders he stopped and listened. Silence. The orc peeked over the boulder. What he saw was an angry looking orc with a tattered brown traveling cloak, spiked leather armor, and an arrow protruding from his shoulder. He was also holding a bow. With a snap Krumshk released the arrow and struck the orc square in the face. Krumshk then collapsed onto the cave floor, pain streaming from his shoulder wound. The sun rose in the east leaving the sky, as well as the cave floor, a red streaked tapestry.

Krumshk leaned his head back on the cold cave floor for a minute then looked down at his wound. He touched the arrow then let out a loud growl as ripples of pain jarred his body. He took a few deep breaths, then pulled the arrow. The arrow didn't even budge and the pain almost made Krumshk pass out. He leaned back again and starred at the cave ceiling. Slowly the pain melted away and cold sleep found Krumshk.

He woke up a few hours later. At first he didn't know where he was. Dim, pink light was streaming through the cave entrance. He looked around. The pain from Krumshk's shoulder reminded him of what had happened that morning. He was still lying behind the boulders, with the arrow protruding from his shoulder. Krumshk knew he had to remove the arrow and clean the wound before it became infected. Already, the wound had caused Krumshk's entire right arm to freeze up with pain.

Krumshk took off one of his leather gloves and stuffed it into his mouth. He then bent down and lightly wrapped his fingers around the arrow. His jaw clenched and bit the leather glove. Deep breaths… one… two… three. Krumshk pulled the arrow out. Pain erupted throughout Krumshk's body and made him howl with anguish. The arrowhead had been barbed, and had ripped his flesh when he tore it out. Blood streamed from the wound and leaked onto the cave floor. Bits of Krumshk's flesh remained on the arrowhead as Krumshk threw the arrow against the far wall of the cave. It clattered to the ground. Krumshk took a bit of cloth and wrapped it around his shoulder over and over until it completely covered the wound. Yet still the blood streamed forth. He knew what he had to do. He had to stop the blood or he may die of blood loss.

As if in a dream, Krumshk moved about. He moved slowly and in a blur, moving first to get kindling and then to get his flint. The rags on his shoulder were completely soaked with blood now, and Krumshk felt his strength being drained. The next thing Krumshk knew, a fire was blazing in the middle of the cave and he was heating his knife over it. The knife, after several minutes, began to glow orange with heat. Before he could stop to think it over, Krumshk unwrapped the bandages from the wound and pressed the glowing knife against his wound. The flesh burned and sizzled, the blood popped and boiled. Krumshk fell down again, pain overcoming his body and sending him back to a long ago time….

Krumshk stood looking at the bodies. Nothing seemed right about this. He had suspected to get great pleasure from hunting his first humans, but all he felt now was – well something else deep inside him. Was it regret? What was there to be regretful of? They had claimed a great victory for the Red Spear Clan this night, taking the filthy humans by complete surprise. The orcs had only sustained mild injuries, whereas all the humans had been slaughtered.

Crouching down, he looked over the woman's body, still lying where she had fallen and then been stabbed. A look of terror was frozen on her face. She was still gripping the headless baby tightly. Krumshk sighed.

Why had the humans been passing through here anyway? Why had they brought a woman and a child? Why was the man so protective of this woman? Was she their leader? Was she a powerful priestess? Who was the child? What were their _names?_ So many questions were passing through Krumshk's mind, so many questions that he knew could never be answered. One thing was certain: this hadn't been a military band coming to scout out Red Spear territory. Krumshk could feel it as much as his mind was telling him it was so.

Had it been a military contingent, why would they bring along a woman who so obviously could not fight? This woman would have slowed the group down had it been a scouting group, making it much less effective. It didn't make any sense.

As he thought about it more and more, all Krumshk could think about was rushing into that tent, eager for another kill and seeing the three humans. The man, holding out his great sword in a protective manner, a look of determination on his face. The woman, a look of great fright on her face, lying in the back of the tent, seeking protection from the brave soul in front of her. The child, uncomprehending of what was happening, yet knowing somehow that something very bad was happening.

They had lives before this. They just wanted to get on in the world didn't they? Were they attacking the Red Spear Clan? What would have been the harm in letting them pass through, as long as they were monitored?

Yik, who was saying something to him, shook Krumshk from his inner turmoil. "Come Krumshk, leave these to rot."

"Why?" Krumshk asked, staring off into the distance.

"These bodies have already been looted. Nothing else of value is still about. Besides, we gunnu roast the baby head back at camp and celebrate," Yik replied, pulling on Krumshk's shoulder.

"No," Krumshk said, turning around and facing Yik, "Why did we do this?"

"To kill…" Yik started, but he saw that Krumshk wasn't really listening anyway, so he turned and headed back toward their camp.

Krumshk just stood in the middle of the human camp, bodies lying all around him, and stared off into the distance. He knew this wasn't right. He felt in his heart that what his kin had done here was wrong. He _knew_ it, but what could he do?


	3. Chapter 3

It was several days after Krumshk had pulled the arrow loose and cauterized the wound. The days had passed without incident, Krumshk resting about the cave, slipping from consciousness as he lay with his back propped against the boulders, staring out of the cave entrance at the quickly passing clouds or the birds in the trees. He had been very lucky, he figured. The wound was healing very quickly and it didn't seem to have caused much damage other than the initial wound. Krumshk could move about and use both his left and his right arms efficiently.

By the third day of staying in the cave, Krumshk decided that it was time to go. He strapped on his leather armor, slung his sword on his belt, fixed the quiver to his thigh, and grabbed the bow. He filled his traveling pack with food he had found in the cave and other things lying about, including one of the orcs' axes and a fur cloak.

It was already mid morning by time Krumshk set out from the cave that had been his sanctuary for three days. He decided to travel during the day as opposed to the night. He figured it would be much warmer so high up in the mountains of the northland with winter fast approaching. He also didn't want any orcs, who usually only travel during the night, to spot him.

The day was already quite warm. The sun shone down on the mountainside, and there was no wind to speak of. Krumshk started off to the west, keeping the cliff to his right. After about a mile the cliff got smaller and smaller until there was just a gently sloping walk to continue north. Here Krumshk turned right and started up the slope. He started east now, and remained on the top of the cliff, looking down on the path he had just taken. There was a pine forest to his left and it continued up the mountain slope for miles.

After about an hour of hiking, Krumshk stood on the top of the cliff and looked down at the area that he recognized to be the area just outside of the cave. That meant he was standing right above the cave. From this vantage point Krumshk could see for miles down the slope of the mountain. In the distance he saw a river and remembered crossing that river as he made his way up the mountain those days before. Further in the distance, Krumshk spotted Ghoktolk Valley and the life he had lived before.

Krumshk turned his back to all that now and looked up the mountain slope. He had much ground to cover if he hoped to cross these mountains and reach what was beyond. Dark clouds were settled on the top of the mountains, and the forest seemed stiff and lifeless. Krumshk sighed and turned back to the south. He looked back at the far off Ghoktolk valley. He had spent his whole life there. Every memory he had, except the past week, was in Ghoktolk valley. His whole clan, his family, and all of his friends were down there, defending their home from invaders.

No, Krumshk knew the truth of it. They weren't just defending their homeland. His evil kin were murdering innocent people who strayed too close to Ghoktolk valley. He imagined that woman dying, so many years ago, and then saw Yeratial being mercilessly beaten down. The orcs were war hungry. They didn't just battle out of necessity, but for amusement. The cost of their fun was innocent lives. After one look to the south Krumshk turned around and started north.

He would have anyway, but something caught his eye. Squinting in the bright sunlight, Krumshk thought he saw smoke on the slopes to the south.

Orcs.

Krumshk turned at last and started up the slope to the north. Within a few minutes he was passing through the pine trees and heading at full speed uphill. Away from the orcs. Away from his past. Away from evil.

Krumshk continued on his northerly course for two days. After one scouting trip Krumshk took to the south he determined that the smoke was indeed from orcs, and they were following him. Krumshk traveled during the day, knowing that the orcs would travel during the night. During the night, as Krumshk huddled in his fur cloak underneath a pine tree, trying to ward off the cold, he could hear blood thirsty warg wolves howling in the distance. He dared not start a fire, but just sat in the cold darkness, looking up at the stars and waiting for the sun to rise once more.

On the dawn of the third day Krumshk noticed a change in the weather. It was getting much colder and his breath seemed to freeze and drop dead as it left his mouth. Dark clouds had settled over the sky, preventing the sun from warming the air. A cold wind was blowing from the north, making every minute a pain. Despite his discomfort, Krumshk knew he had to press on, knowing the bloodthirsty orcs in pursuit wouldn't stop for a little cold weather. As the day pressed on and Krumshk neared the top of the mountain it got colder and colder. Late in the afternoon snow began to fall. The trees were getting scarcer and scarcer. The air was getting more and more frigid. The snow continued to fall more and more heavily.

By nightfall Krumshk knew that if he didn't find shelter and lit a fire, he likely wouldn't make it through the night. He practically ran through the trees, scrambling over and around rocks, trying to find some sort of shelter. At last he came upon a cave. It was nestled in the mountainside, and was in the midst of the pine trees. There was a frozen creek near to the cave entrance, which Krumshk took some ice from, hoping to melt it and warm it over a fire. Before he went into the dark, gloomy cave, Krumshk looked behind him. Darkness had settled over the forest and he could hear the hooing of an owl somewhere. The sound made Krumshk remember how hungry he was. His food supply had run out yesterday, and he hadn't eaten since. If only he could catch the owl and roast it…

The cave was dank and small, with hardly any interior to speak of. The floor was frozen and the ceiling was low, but at least Krumshk could escape the biting wind. Within a few minutes he had a small fire burning, using some wood he had picked up on his way in. He rubbed his hands and tried to warm them, but the heat of the fire seemed so distant, even though his hands were almost in the fire.

Sleep was hard to come by, and Krumshk forced himself not to sleep too much, fearing that he would never wake up. He tried to keep the fire going, and had to go outside into the black blizzard to get more firewood several times during the night. As he sat next to the fire, though, Krumshk couldn't keep the sounds of the night from him. He heard the howling wind, the barking wolves in the distance, and the rustling of the trees. In the dark hours of the morning, as he sat and listened and waited, the haunting images of the past week came flooding back to him.


	4. Chapter 4

He had been sitting on an outcropping of rock at the top of a small hill. He was watching the sun rise over the eastern peaks. The sun peeked over the mountains and cast the sky aglow. It cast out the darkness and painted the sky. With blood, Krumshk thought. The reds and pinks in the sky reminded him of the many lives he had taken, and the many more that his clan had taken. Every morning, whenever he was able, Krumshk just sat and watched the sunrise, thinking into his past and future.

This morning though, when Krumshk began his walk back down to the cave entrance that lead to the Red Spear cave system, he noticed a scouting group coming back. They numbered about twenty, and they all seemed very excited about something. Krumshk raced down the hill and across the small stretch of land that separated him from the cave entrance and waited a moment for the scouting group to arrive. When they were nearing the cave, Krumshk jogged up to them and began asking what all the excitement was for.

The orcs laughed and cackled, but none would give him a straight answer. "We got a little present for Chief Thornclaw!" one cried.

"What? What is it?" Krumshk asked, looking around the group for some sign of a present.

"Looky there!" The orc pointed to two orcs who were carrying a bundle between them. The bundle was wriggling around, and after staring at it a moment Krumshk realized it must have some sort of a humanoid in it.

"What's in it?" Krumshk asked, but the orc had already moved on. Krumshk fell in behind the scouting party and followed them into the cave. They marched into the darkness and after a minute or two they saw the torch lights ahead of them. Two orc sentinels saw the excited group and fell in behind them to see what all the commotion was about.

One of them came up to Krumshk and asked, "What's this?"

"Got somethin' for the chief," Krumshk said and pointed to the bundle. The orc sentinel howled and cheered, and continued to march along with the rest of them.

The troop now came into the main part of the cave system, into the entry hall. Tunnels went of in seven different directions and animal hides and bones decorated the hall. More orc guards were in this hall, and they came over to see what was happening. They went asking around, but only got the same answer Krumshk and the sentinels had gotten. Toward the front of the group, the leader of the scouting party shoved another orc fiercely and growled at him to go fetch Chief Thornclaw. The orc scampered off into one of the tunnels.

The orcs had laid down the bundle now, and were circled around it, staring intently. It had stopped moving. The cheering and cackling had stopped as everyone waited anxiously for the chief to arrive. They were all soon bowing their head in respect as the chief rushed into the room. The orc who had gone off the fetch him was scurrying along behind him. Chief Thornclaw shoved an orc fiercely out of the way, sending him sprawling to the ground, and barked for the rest of them to stop the bowing. He pushed threw another line of orcs and stopped in front of the leader of the scouting group.

As always, he was sporting his fine spiked gauntlets and a silver chain mail. A scar ran down the side of his face and his face was scrunched up into a look of perpetual rage. He stood a bit taller than all the other orcs, nearly five and a half feet tall, and carried a long halberd. He waited a moment for Quarf, the scouting leader, to explain what all this was about, but when Quarf didn't start talking, Thornclaw growled, "What is it?"

Quarf smiled and pointed to the bundle. "A gift, mighty Thornclaw," he explained, bowing low. Two orcs moved over to the bundle and cut it open. A humanoid lay on the cave floor, sporting green garments and a fine silk cloak. He was bound head to toe. At first Krumshk thought he was human, for he was much too tall to be a dwarf and he didn't have any hair on his face. He had long black hair and his eyes sparkled a light shade of blue. As Krumshk looked over him, he seemed to be too fair, too handsome to be a human. Perhaps he was a great leader of the humans.

"An _elf_!" Thornclaw shouted.

"Yes, great one. We captured him in the Horned Woods. He was following us."

"An elf!" Thornclaw yelled again. He seemed angry, but then again, he always seemed angry to Krumshk's eyes and ears.

The elf was looking around quickly, his eyes darting from orc to orc until they settled on Thornclaw, who was walking slowly and proudly up to the elf. The elf rolled over and jumped to its feet; a graceful move, even though he was bound by ropes. The surrounding orcs yelped and readied their weapons.

"Put down those weapons, you fools." Thornclaw rumbled and continued walking up to the elf. When he was right in front of him he stopped and stared at the elf. Neither of them moved, but continued staring at each other. After what could have been moments or minutes, Thornclaw began laughing and at last shouted "Take 'em to a holdin' cell!"

Orcs scrambled around, eager to do the will of mighty Thornclaw, and Krumshk soon lost sight of the elf. There was some shouting toward the middle of the throng, and then Krumshk spotted the unconscious elf being carried off into a tunnel. Some orcs went back to their stations, but most of the orcs, including Krumshk, continued to follow the precession down the tunnel until the elf was thrown into a room and a barred door was closed over the entrance.

Everyone stood around for a time, not knowing whether to go back to his previous tasks, when suddenly Chief Thornclaw came marching down the hallway. He was carrying a whip and had a group of four orcs following closely behind him. He stopped in front of the door and waited as the bumbling orc door guard scrambled with the keys and then finally managed to get the door open. The elf was awake now, and stood at the back of the cell, his arms crossed in front of him in a defiant pose. Thornclaw slowly entered the room, staring at the elf the entire time.

Still staring at the elf, Thornclaw held out his hand and said in a low voice, "Bow."

An orc that was carrying a bow directly behind him handed him a finely crafted bow and a red shafted arrow. Thornclaw took the bow and arrow in his hand, raised it, and pulled back the bowstring.

All the orcs in the doorway scrambled to get a better view. There was howling and chanting, as they all called out "pain to the elf!"

Chief Thornclaw let go of the bowstring. The arrow cracked through the air and struck the elf in the stomach. The elf dropped to the cold, hard floor and lay there, face down, for a moment. Thornclaw growled and ran forward, striking the elf in the side with his spiked boot. The elf rolled over, but didn't make a sound. Thornclaw kicked the elf in the face and then stomped down on the arrow shaft, breaking the wood and sending the tip of the arrow in further.

The elf still didn't make a sound, but accepted the pain with a grim look on his face.

Thornclaw looked down at the elf and laughed, then turned on the orcs by the door. "Prop him up!" he barked at them. The orcs rushed to get the elf's hands tied with a rope, then they passed the rope through a ring in the ceiling and then through another one on the floor a few feet away. They then pulled the end of the rope and lifted the elf off the ground to dangle by his hands.

A whip crack echoed through the room and silenced the cheering orcs in the doorway. Another snap of the whip, another red line going down the elf's back. Now the orcs were cheering again, and all the louder too. After forty-five lashes, Thornclaw took a step back and inspected the damage. The elf was fading from consciousness, so he went up to the elf and whispered, "We're only just getting started, filthy elf." With that, he stormed from the room followed by the four orcs. They dropped the rope and sent the elf crashing to the ground. The door was locked again.

The orcs shouted curses and threats at the elf for quite some time, even though he was likely unconscious and couldn't hear anything they were saying. They slowly dispersed, some going off to guard duty, other to meals they had left laying around when the elf was brought in, and others simply went off to get some sleep.

When he was convinced that the clan had settled down the next day, Krumshk returned to the tunnel outside the elf's cell. It was midday and most of the orcs were asleep. There was a single guard next to the door, and the tunnel was empty besides. Krumshk walked straight up to the guard, puffed out his chest a little, and snapped "Open the bleeding door! Chief Thornclaw wants me to speak to the prisoner!"

The orc didn't ask any questions, but pulled out a key and opened the door. Krumshk stepped through and heard the door close behind him. The room was small and dark. A small, fist-sized opening near the top of the far wall created the only light. The elf sat in the middle of the room, with his hands resting in his lap, and stared out the opening. At first Krumshk didn't say anything, but just looked the elf over and decided what he was going to say. He argued with himself about how he was going to approach the elf for so long that the elf eventually said in a week voice, "Do you need something, or have you just come in here to taunt me and taint the air with your filth?"

The elf was speaking in the orc language – a deep, growling language – but he spoke it with grace and fluidity that made it hard for Krumshk to understand what the elf was saying. "You speak my tongue," Krumshk said and took a step forward.

"Indeed I do," the elf said, not moving an inch from the position he had been in. The elf's shirt was off, and had been made into a bandage that wrapped around the elf's stomach several times.

"Where did you learn that?"

"I picked it up in the Silvery Woods. I was hunting your kind."

Krumshk walked around so that he was facing the front of the elf. The elf didn't make eye contact, but continued to stare at the light. "What's your name?"

"_What?_" the elf asked, stunned. He had finally taken his eyes off the sunlight streaming through the hole and stared hard at Krumshk. His brow was furrowed and his left eyebrow was raised. "What did you say?" he asked again.

"Your name… I asked you what your name was." Krumshk muttered and matched the stare of the elf.

"Why should an orc care what the name of one of his prisoners is?" Again the elf spoke in that strange elvish accent of his.

"You're not _my_ prisoner," asserted Krumshk.

"No? Are you saying that you are not part of the Red Spear clan?"

"I'm saying that I'm not responsible for the actions of my clan."

The elf narrowed his eyes and looked back at the closed door, then stared hard at Krumshk. After a moment of thought, the elf looked back up into the light and stated simply, "I am called Yeratial."

"I'm Krumshk Wildheart," replied Krumshk as he walked around to the other side of Yeratial.

"Wildheart?"

"I'm one of the best trackers and hunters of my clan," Krumshk bragged and as he said this, he swelled with pride and a toothy grin spread across his face.

"You still have not answered my question…" muttered Yeratial after a moment's pause.

"What?"

"Do you need something, or have you just come in here to taunt me and taint the air with your filth?"

Krumshk almost punched Yeratial in the face, but he didn't. He just clenched his fist and turned toward the door. He took a step toward it, but stopped and turned back toward Yeratial. "I've come to speak with you. Now, no more lip from you."

Yeratial's eyes narrowed again as he asked suspiciously, "What do you want from me?"

"Freedom!" Krumshk cried.

Yeratial was taken aback. He looked Krumshk over and at last said, "What sort of freedom do you desire that I can help with?"

"Freedom from these evil creatures I was born into! I can't bear to see all the things they do. Every time we slaughter innocent humans something inside yells out to me that this is not right. Every time I see the blood of a child spilt on the ground I am gripped with rage - rage against my own people! And I look at you, and I know you're a capable being, even though I have never seen you fight, but Thornclaw won't let you fight. He'll strip you down slowly and painfully until you are nothing more than a hollow shell. He'll do to you things that should never be done to living creatures. I can't let that happen! I can't bear it any longer!"

Krumshk was shaking with emotion, and kicked a rock on the floor as hard as he could. After a short time he looked up to see Yeratial's reaction. Shock and confusion were written over every part of the elf's face. He stared at Krumshk a long time, as if searching the orc's soul for what was really inside it.

"You, an orc, would help me to escape?" Yeratial asked, slowly and deliberately.

"I've got to."


	5. Chapter 5

It was daylight and the orcs weren't about. At very best there were a few sentinels about the Red Spear tunnel entrance. Most were skulking about in the deepest sections of the tunnels, hiding from the glaring sun until night fell once more. Water was dripping dully down the cave walls and collecting in small puddles on the cave floor. The few torches on the walls were dim and lifeless from lack of attention. The entrance hall was empty except for a few guards against the walls and a group of orcs playing bones in the corner. The light from the day couldn't penetrate through the solid rock, and therefore the orcs lived in safe darkness during these hours.

Krumshk looked anxiously over to the orcs who were playing bones in the corner. One howled with glee and pumped his fist in the air. A second orc looked spitefully at the first. A third orc slipped a bone into its shirt. A fourth orc punched the first orc in the face. A fight immediately broke out and bones went flying all over the entrance hall. Growls and curses streamed from the orcs as they all punched, kicked, and bit each other. The guards in the room rushed over to watch.

Krumshk almost went over to join the cheering guards, but dropped his hand to his sword hilt and walked quickly down the tunnel. He rounded a corner a few minutes later and came upon the door to Yeratial's cell. It hung open loosely and creaked slightly as it swung on its hinges. The guard was still standing next to the door and was picking his nose as he stared blankly at the opposite wall. Krumshk walked purposefully over to the orc and asked in a low voice, "Where is the stinking elf?"

"Dunno," the orc said, distractedly, as it continued picking its nose. "Chief came round here to take him somewhere else a few minutes ago."

Krumshk narrowed his eyes at the orc, then stormed off down the hall, heading in the direction of Thornclaw's room. He had a sword sheathed at his side, a bow slung across his back, a quiver on his thigh, hard leather armor covering his body and a fierce look on his face. He arrived at the door to Thornclaw's room a few minutes later. The hall made a "T" shape and where the intersection was stood the door on the far wall. Four guards stood in the hall, one on either side of the door, and one against either wall in the hall leading up to the intersection.

Walking very slowly so he could prep himself for what he knew to becoming very soon, Krumshk looked closely at the position of the guards and what they carried. The two on either side of the door carried spears, gripped loosely and resting casually on the floor. The orc coming up on Krumshk's left had an axe in his hand, and the orc on the right had a sword in a sheath on his hip. Krumshk stopped. He was standing roughly forty feet from the closest guards. He took his bow in his hand, looked behind him to see if anyone was coming, and raised an arrow to the bowstring.

The guards were talking casually to one another. The first one, the one carrying the axe, made a comment about a battle that he had fought recently against a pack of humans. He retold the event and included a good amount of exaggeration about his own exploits and successes. The second orc was starting to scoff at the first, but an arrow whizzed through the small hallway and struck the first orc in the side of the head. Down he tumbled and hit the ground with a thump. The second orc turned quickly left, drawing his sword in the same motion and saw Krumshk standing in the hallway with his bow still raised. Another arrow was fitted to the bow. The orc guard began charging down the hallway at Krumshk.

In another second the charging orc felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The wind was knocked from him and he stumbled backward but managed to keep his feet. He felt a warm liquid spilling down his stomach and smelt the smell of his own flesh. He looked down and saw a red feathered arrow protruding from his chest. His hand went instinctively up to the wound as he tried to hold his life in. With a sudden sigh, it escaped and the orc dropped to the floor, quite dead.

The two last orcs roared and rushed forward into the narrow hallway, running side by side, not leaving any space between themselves and the walls. Their spears were lowered and pointed at Krumshk. Krumshk threw the bow to the floor and quickly drew his sword. He stood in the middle of the hallway, with his feet firmly planted, and waited for the orcs to come to him. When they were a few feet away, Krumshk ran forward, suddenly and powerfully, sweeping his sword across in front of him. He kept his sword pointed up toward the ceiling as he swept it, right to left, and deflected the spear tips harmlessly past his left shoulder. He continued forward and ran right into the orc with his right shoulder, knocking the orc back a few feet and sending him off balance. Krumshk wasted no time in spinning quickly around and stabbing his sword into the chest of the stumbling orc. The orc fell to the floor, but continued moaning in pain.

Krumshk turned sharply to the left to face the other orc, putting his back to the wall, just in time to beat aside a fast approaching spear tip. Both his sword and the spear were sent out wide to the right, so Krumshk released his sword with his left hand and punched the orc in the face. It groaned and tilted back slightly, but brought its spear shaft back quickly to block an attempt by Krumshk to slash at its side.

Hardly letting up on his assault, Krumshk brought back his sword quickly and then sent it punching forward swiftly toward the orc's stomach. Unable to block, the orc quickly received a sword in the gut and was dead on the floor a moment later.

He looked over the carnage a moment, then Krumshk started toward the door, not even sheathing his sword or retrieving his bow from the cave floor. He stood in front of the door for a moment, tracing the grains of wood with his eyes, then heard something behind him. He whipped around and raised his sword instinctively, but all he saw was an orc standing about fifty feet down the hallway. The orc saw the dead guards, saw Krumshk standing there with a bloody sword, and ran off around the corner, howling every step of the way.

Krumshk turned back around quickly and kicked the door to Chief Thornclaw's room open. It crashed open and smashed against the inside wall. Krumshk stepped through and looked at his surroundings.

A bright fire was lit in the middle of the room and various trophies of war were spread throughout the room. Krumshk saw human heads, beast heads, skulls, bones, horns, and other objects. Furs covered the floor and there were several weapon racks along the walls. They stored swords, axes, spears, bows, halberds, knives, clubs, and other blades and blunts. In the middle of the room stood Chief Thornclaw and kneeling in front of him was Yeratial. Thornclaw held a great sword up above the head of the elf and looked like he was ready to let the blade fall on the elf's head at any moment. Thornclaw was starring directly at Krumshk as if he had been expecting him the whole time.

Krumshk took a step forward. "Thornclaw! Release the elf!"

A smile spread across Thornclaw's face and he shook with laughter. The great sword shook in the air, but remained fixed above the elf's head.

Yeratial's head was bowed and was looking at the cave floor. There were new wounds all over his body and blood streamed to the cave floor.

Krumshk took another step forward and yelled across the room, "Release the elf!"

Thornclaw laughed one last time and then brought the sword quickly and powerfully down and to the left slightly, decapitating Yeratial in one quick moment. A spray of blood showered Thornclaw and the floor around them both. Krumshk watched in horror as the elf's head rolled a few feet toward him and then stopped. The face was looking toward Krumshk and he clearly saw the look of pain across the smooth features. Behind it, the elven body slumped to the floor.

Time slowly dragged to a halt as Krumshk stood in the doorway of the room and watched as the horrific events unfolded before him. Thornclaw stood with a look of glee upon his face as the body of the elf settled upon the floor and the blood dripped onto the floor. His corded muscles were still tensed as he held his sword high above his head. Yeratial's head stared up painfully at Krumshk, his crystal blue eyes slicing through his soul.

_Why did you fail me Krumshk?_

_I tried to save you. I was coming for you. _

_You weren't quick enough._

_I know. _

_I've lived for hundreds of years, Krumshk. In that time I've seen nations rise and fall. I've seen heroes slay monsters and die. I've seen forests grow and burn. I've hunted many orcs with my own bow and blade. And now that is all over. I will never walk the forests of the earth again. I will never slay evil creatures with my own hands. I will never see my love again. _

_You weren't quick enough to save me, Krumshk._

_I know. I tried. _

_Why did you fail me?_

The eyes of the dead elf seemed to loose their glow and gleam, as if the life was finally leaving them forever. Before he even knew what he was doing, Krumshk raised his sword and charged at Thornclaw, a great roar escaping his lips.

A moment later Krumshk was lying on his back, and a bruise was forming on his left cheek. Thornclaw was standing right above him, and was saying something, but Krumshk didn't hear any of it. He just lay there on his back, a few feet from the fire and watched Thornclaw's jaw flap up and down. His rage was building and he felt a hot sensation rising from his stomach up to his ears. His eye twitched and a quiet hissing sound came from his mouth.

In a flash Krumshk leaped up and smashed his head against the bottom of Thornclaw's chin. Thornclaw howled and leaned his head way back, taking a few quick steps backward to avoid falling. Krumshk quickly reached down, picked up his sword, which had been lying next to the fire, and then whirled around to face Thornclaw again.

Both had their swords pointed at the other, and stared holes into each other as they slowly turned circles around each other. Neither of them spoke, and it seemed like minutes before one of them made a move.

It was Krumshk. He yelled aloud and stabbed straight at Thornclaw, lunging the few feet that separated them. With a clang Thornclaw batted aside the sword and came around with his own attack – a right to left slash aimed at Krumshk's head. The furious orc ducked down as the blade went sailing over his head, then came back up fast with an upward slash aimed at his enemy's belly. Thornclaw jumped backward and readied his defense for another assault.

Krumshk continued forward, slashing ferociously at the chief – left, right, left, up, down, and right again. Every time, Thornclaw raised his own blade to intercept the attack, never allowing Krumshk to break through his defense. Krumshk was constantly searching for an opening, but couldn't work around the defense of Thornclaw

This went on for several minutes, until Krumshk began to tire. His attacks slowed and had less power behind them. Then he stopped his ferocious onslaught and took a step back. This is exactly what Thornclaw had been waiting for. He stepped forward quickly, slashed right, hacked down, and then repeated the two motions again. Every time, Krumshk's blade was left higher and higher, until it was too high to bring down fast enough. Thornclaw kicked Krumshk in the stomach and sent him sprawling to the ground a few feet from the fire.

Krumshk's blade was a few feet to his right – too far to reach – and he could feel the heat of the fire on the back of his head. Thornclaw rushed forward, eager to finish to kill. Krumshk's mind raced for a moment, trying to find a way out of this, then he came up with something and reached back suddenly. His hand went into the fire and grabbed one of the logs. His hand seared with pain, but he picked up the log and threw it into the face of the fast approaching orc chieftain.

Red-hot pain erupted across Thornclaw's face and sent him crashing to the ground, his hands clasping his burned face. Krumshk quickly rolled over, grabbed his sword, and leapt up. He ran forward and drove his sword into the back of Thornclaw, who offered no defense against the blow, but was too distracted by the pain in his face. The blade passed through the orc's back as easily as if it was passing through water, and continued forward until it hit the stone floor on the other side.

For a moment Krumshk stood over Thornclaw, staring down at the dead chief who for so long had been his omnipotent leader. His face was down and against the cold floor. His hands were over his face and Krumshk could just imagine the look of pain etched in. It would likely be like the pain sketched across the face of Yeratial. Krumshk looked quickly over to the face of Yeratial.

_Thank you._

And then Krumshk was running. He was running through the dim tunnels, past doors and side tunnels. He ran past some very startled orcs, who had just been walking toward the feast hall when a fully armored orc had run past with a bloodied sword and a wild look on his face. They only understood after a group of about ten orcs followed shortly after with drawn weapons and curses on their tongues. Krumshk continued running. He cut down anyone in his way; they meant nothing to him now. He cut down Yik just outside the entrance hall. He simply ran his sword through his chest and then leapt over the collapsing body.

The orcs that were following Krumshk yelled for the guards and sentinels in the entrance hall to stop Krumshk, but it was too late. Krumshk was already running past them, out of the dark and into the bright daylight.

The sunlight and warmth woke up Krumshk from his deep slumber. He looked around, half expecting to be surrounded by angry orcs. The cave was empty and the fire was only ash. The clouds had moved further south and taken the snowstorm with them. A few feet of snow covered the ground, but it was fast melting with the coming of the sun. Krumshk stood up and stretched, rubbing his arms and legs to get warmth moving in them once more.

Before long Krumshk was off and continued up the mountain. By midday he reached the peak. He stood on a barren, rocky field with the slope he had just climbed up behind him and another slope down in front of him. He looked out over the northern land and searched for any sign of civilization. He didn't spot anything – no cities, no villages, no cleared land. He searched for something, something that deep down he knew he couldn't find. It wasn't there. All he found was mountains and a distant plain of ice and snow. Krumshk sighed and turned around. He stood staring out over the south, over Ghoktolk valley and all the unnamed forests and peaks. He stood there until sunset. He stood there all night. A few hours before sunrise he spotted the orcs climbing up the slope. There were perhaps fifty of them. He didn't run. He didn't hide.

Slowly, Krumshk drew his sword and raised it to the sky. He stood like this for several minutes, watching the orcs get closer and closer. Then, with a great roar that froze all the orcs in their tracks, Krumshk lowered his sword and ran down the mountain at full speed toward the startled orcs.

He met with them on the side of the mountain, in the middle of a rocky, treeless space, and took up battle against them there, a great smile on his face.


End file.
